Trench

Twenty One Pilots built Trench around the fictional city of Dema and the effort to escape it. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun use that setting to explore anxiety, doubt and dependence, while the production gives bass guitar and live drums a more prominent role.

“Jumpsuit” begins with a heavy bass figure, and “Levitate” follows with a tightly paced rap performance. “My Blood” opens into a warmer chorus. The changes between those tracks show how the narrative can hold together songs with different structures, without requiring every part of the story to be understood first.